The Benefits of Licensing & Microchipping Your Pet

You work hard to make sure your furry family members are safe and secure. But aside from securing leashes and making sure the fences are strong, one safety measure that you shouldn’t overlook is getting your pet licensed and/or microchipped. Both of these methods will help you recover your furry friend more quickly should you ever be separated.

Licensing in Salt Lake County

Before your furry friend turns five months old or within 30 days of bringing him home, whichever happens first, you’re required to apply for a license if you live in Salt Lake County. Most cities and unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County require all dogs and cats to be licensed, and three different areas–Herriman, Holladay and unincorporated county areas–require ferrets to be licensed as well. The only requirement to be licensed is that your pet should have a current rabies vaccination. Some cities give you a discount on the registration fee if you provide proof of spay or neutering, too.

You can license your pet in person at a local shelter, through the mail or online. Find out how at the Salt Lake County Animal Services site. Whichever method you choose, include proof of the current rabies vaccination, sterilization (if applicable) and the licensing fee.

Not only will licensing your pet help ensure a quicker reunion with your pet, it also ensures that your pet gets emergency veterinary care should an animal control officer find him/her injured. So it can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Licensing your pet helps give you peace of mind, increasing your chances of a reunion should he/she become lost. Photo courtesy of MLife.

Microchipping Your Pet

While licensing your pet improves your chances of a reunion, having a small microchip placed under your pet’s skin increases that chance more than 200% than licensing alone. This chip is no bigger than a grain of rice and is usually embedded in the skin in the back of the neck by your veterinarian or a shelter worker. Contact information for you is embedded in the chip, so if your pet becomes lost the shelter can scan the chip and call you to come get your pet.

Microchipping your pet increases your chance or reuniting with him/her more than 200% than licensing alone. Photo courtesy of Cherry Ridge Veterinary Clinic.

Microchipping your pet increases your chance or reuniting with
him/her more than 200% than licensing alone. It is very affordable – it’s a one-time cost of approximately $40-50. That’s about the cost of 1-2 months of pet food–and it’s a small investment on your peace of mind.

Getting your pet licensed and/or microchipped takes a little time and a little money, but it is completely worth the investment when you feel that relief and happiness of being reunited with your pet.

5 Tips to Keep Pet Boredom at Bay

There’s a lot of debate about whether pets experience boredom like people do, but one thing’s for sure: sometimes when pets act out, it’s because they are restless and trying to keep themselves occupied in new and different ways. This is especially true of cats, dogs and parrots. If your pet suddenly acts out, becomes anxious or clingy, or displays some of the signs below, he or she may be bored.

• Destroying part of your home or yard

• Urinating or defecating outside appropriate places

• Grooming too much

• Barking/meowing/calling more than usual

• Being disobedient

Follow these easy tips to keep boredom at bay so your pet and you will be happy.

Pets that suddenly start being destructive or disobedient may be bored or restless. Photo by Daily Puppy.

1. Rotate out toys. Pets are stimulated by new sights, smells and textures. Playing with the same toys over and over can get monotonous, so purchase new toys regularly, and switch them out for old ones to give your pet a variety of toy experiences.

2. Teach them tricks. The process of learning a new trick–including being rewarded with praise and treats–challenges your dog’s or parrot’s mind, preventing boredom. Plus, it gives them something to show off to friends and family for further praise!

3. Make sure your pet gets plenty of playtime and physical exercise. Physical exercise keeps pets from building up restless energy and keeps them at a healthy weight. Play chase games with your cat around the house or peek-a-boo with your parrot. Take dogs for regular walks or hikes (or hire Merry Petsto help!), or try an agility course for fun.

4. Supply activities or toys that challenge their minds. Making pets solve puzzles or work for their food stimulates their minds and their tastebuds. Place food bowls in different places around the house for your cat to keep his hunting instincts in tact. Attach a foraging toy to a parrot’s cage or hide a treat in a puzzle toy or maze toy to challenge dogs or cats to retrieve them.

Foraging toys help pets that naturally graze keep their minds active. Photo by Northern Parrots.

5. Provide social time. Social interaction keeps you and your pet bonded and keeps boredom at bay. Introducing your pets to new games, people or places keeps their minds active as they take in new stimuli. According to Cesar Millan, “Every time your dog meets a new person or fellow canine, they are introduced to new sights, sounds and butts to sniff. Taking your pup to places like the dog park will provide him with ample opportunity to engage his senses.” Don’t hesitate to ask Merry Pets to help by taking your dog on a group hike or dog park trip!

Essential Apps for Pet Parents

Mobile apps make keeping track of your appointments, contacts and social media easy–and they can help you keep your pet happy and healthy, too. With these mobile apps available for Android and iPhone, you can track your pets’ health and whereabouts, keep them entertained and even train them. Read on to discover Merry Pets‘ picks for essential free apps for pet owners you can download and start using today.

Health & Wellbeing

Pet First Aid from The American Red Cross

Be prepared to answer everyday pet first aid questions with this app, full of professional advice from vets. Check it out in your phone’s app store to be prepared for emergencies today.

Symptom Checker by Pet MD

If you’re concerned about your cat’s limp, your dog’s sneezing or anything else, check symptoms on the this app, full of 2000 useful articles to give you more info to help your pet.

Check your pet’s health on your mobile phone with these apps from Pet MD and The American Red Cross. Photo by My Pet.

Tracking & Training

Tagg by Whistle

Track your pet’s whereabouts from your phone with this easy-to-use app. It works with a tracking device you put on your pet’s collar to give you peace of mind about her whereabouts.

Dog Whistler by Mobeezio Inc.

This convenient app allows you to switch the whistle around your neck with one in your phone to help you train your dog.

Entertainment

Cat Fishing by Nestle Purina Petcare Company

Exercise your cat’s mind and keep her entertained with this fun, free game app, which swirls fish around on a screen for her to try to catch.

Dog Translator by Ronald Bell

Amuse yourself with this free app by recording your dog’s bark and seeing what the translation says. See if it matches what your feel your dog is trying to communicate.

3 Tips to Help Teething Puppies

Bringing home a new puppy opens up a world of cuddles, licks and love. Aside from getting your puppy settled in and trained, one of the most common issues with new puppies is their mouthiness. They can chew on pretty much everything, partly because they are still growing and exploring–and partly because they are teething. There’s no need to fear puppy teeth – just follow these three tips to get you through those puppy years with minimal damage.

Puppies explore their environment by chewing, or mouthing on things. Photo by Tim Simpson.

Tip #1. Keep chewable items out of reach. As with humans, teething is a phase that will definitely pass, but one of the simplest ways to keep your cool is to move chewable items out of puppy’s reach. Things like shoes, toys and even electronics can become tempting chew toys to your exploring puppy, so avoid having to purchase new items (not to mention getting incredibly irritated) by placing them in closed closets or out of reach. You may even find it helpful to keep your dog in an area of the house that’s been puppy-proofed to remove temptation. Just remember: if your puppy does start chewing on something he shouldn’t, make sure you replace the item with an appropriate toy rather than simply taking the inappropriate item away. That way, he learns what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate to chew rather than just getting in trouble for his natural behavior of chewing.

Tip #2. Provide or make teething toys. Giving your puppy plenty of acceptable things to chew on will help curb his desire to chew on valuables. Purchase a variety of teething toys for your pooch to explore. Or, make inexpensive toys by wetting, twisting and freezing a washcloth. Your puppy will get tons of chewing time in on these homemade toys. Just be careful giving really small dogs frozen toys, as they can sometimes get a chill, or a doggie version of an ice cream headache.

Tip #3. Curb teething with herbs. Use calming herbs to help curb your pup’s chewing tendencies. Make a tea with lavender or chamomile to cool and mix with puppy’s food. You may also find your puppy likes you freezing the tea and chewing on the ice cubes, but see the warning on Tip #2 for that option.

Just remember: teething is a phase that will pass. Follow these tips and add a healthy dose of patience to make it through this stage.

2 Tips to Encourage Cats to Use Scratching Posts

You pick out a brand new scratching post and bring it home for your cat, excited to see her start using and enjoying it. But she turns her nose up at it and goes back to scratching your drapes. What?? There’s no need to return the scratching post to the store — try these tips to entice your cat to use it.

Tip #1: Outfit the post with an enticing variety of surfaces. Cats love to explore, so add a variety of textures and surfaces (such as corrugated or flat cardboard, lightweight wood, twine or rope, a variety of fabrics, upholstery swatches and more) to lure your cat towards it.

Tip #2: Add toys and more. It’s not just surfaces that will help encourage your cat to use the scratching post — a variety of toys and scents will help, too. Consider adding toys that:

• Hang, swing or bounce

• Are scented with catnip or honeysuckle

• Show bright colors made in an assortment of materials

• Are filled with treats

Place these toys in different places places near the various textures on the post to entice them to scratch as or after they explore the toys.

Adding a variety of surfaces, toys and more will invite your cat to explore and use their new scratching post. Photo by Animal Hearted.

Remember to have patience and don’t give up! Just like you should redirect a new puppy from chewing inappropriate to appropriate items, you should keep redirecting your cat towards the cat scratching post. Consistency is key.